On 12/16/09 8:37 AM, Gene wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:56:01 -0500, I am Tosk
wrote:

In ,
says...

On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:59:12 -0500, John
wrote:

Christmas, and the fact that so many people get so much enjoyment from
the season, must really **** off the atheists.

Not only that.... it really ****es off a lot of Christians, because
they know it is celebrating a Pagan holiday with a ton of Pagan
trappings.... and they will do anything to prevent being guilty of
idolatrous worship....

... there are a lot of Christian children around here that will get no
presents and wouldn't want them, if they did.... there are Christian
homes with absolute prohibitions against anything associated with
Christmas.... no trees, no 12 days, no Yule log, no parades, no
exchanging gifts, no ornaments, no mistletoe, no green, no red, no
presents, no Santa, and *certainly* no eggnog. And you'll NEVER catch
THEM saying, "Merry Christmas."
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/...xmas/celeb.htm

Don't be so quick to paint all Christians with that broad brush.

Wow, and in my 50 years I have never met one, much less heard of one
trying to shut down my celebration... hummmmmm...

You must not get out much, either....

Visit your local:

Jehovah's Witness
Most Church of Christ
Many "Messianic Jews"
Amish
some Mennonites
Many Church of God (all of them, at one time)

Some Seventh Day Adventists... some celebrate Christmas, some don't,
and some celebrate Christmas in months OTHER than Dec.
other Mennonites (celebrate, but "buy nothing Christmas")

Those are the ones that come to mind, now. There are more, I'm
sure....

While you are at it, you could save this list and have the same
conversation about Easter, but that doesn't seem to have developed as
a hot button, yet. Maybe the first merchandiser that offers "Happy
Bunny Day" will create as great a furor as the one offering "Happy
Holidays."

The guy in the office next to me is a Baptist Minister and this link
gives him apoplexy... but I offer it in the Happiest Holiday spirit to
all...... even the grumpy ones.... hope I haven't left anyone out...
http://tinyurl.com/ysyxn8



PS
Rhetorical food for thought:

Did Jesus ever celebrate Christmas? Either way, would he do so, today?



Non-rhetorical response:

Jesus might have celebrated a birthday...then and now...but certainly
not a non-Jewish holiday such as Christmas.